Floor molding



Sept. 7, 1943. N, N 2,328,651

FLOOR MOLDING Filed Dec. 15, 1941 W INVENTOR.

he. a Mm/m c. fifRN @516 //drlulr Patented Sept. 7, 1943 Application December 15, 1941;, serialiy 4 3,072

3 Claims; (oi ed-s) f This, inventionrelateis tofioor moldings, and particularly to so-called shoemo1dings,' of that classwhich are usedat the junctur s ofthefioors and walls, in building construction. I

An important object of the. invention is] to providea resilient metallic shoe molding of inexpensive character. and neat appearance, which may be very easily and quickly iinstalled and which, when installed, is firmly heldinposition, but can easily be removed and reinstalled whenever this maybe desirable or necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a metallic shoe moldingwhich is adjustable to'icompensate for differences in floor levels and thicknesses.

It has been very difficult, in the past, to provide material of similar character over a subfloorf of concrete, or the like. No permanent and practicable fastening meanshas been developed for securing the finish flooring to the concrete suba satisfactory finish flooring of wood or other floor ina'manner which will prevent the wood flooring from moving withrespect to the sub-floor under the strains created by expansion and contraction due to humidity'changes, andin some cases, as Where the flooring is used in factory buildings and. the like, under the effects of vibrag numeral 12 denominatesanappurtenant wall per-f tion. The finish flooring, 15, of'wood,'may,bef laid over the subfioorin any of .the usual or 'desired ways, as for example, by being beddedupon an interposed masticlayer l ll A substantial marginal gap H3 is leftbetween theffin'ishfioora ing and the walls, entirely around the edges of the wood flooring. The several sections'orboards which compose finish flooring may be" nailed l or" otherwise secured together, but need notbe me.

chanically attached to the subfloor. p

The shoe mold assembly, the constructionof which is best shown cross sectionally in Fig. 2,

projects inwardly from the wall far enough, and

at such height, as to overlie the finish flooring by a substantial margin; and to snugly engage the same.

The shoe mold assembly is supported by an angular sheet metal securing strip 20, shown as extending continuously along the line of juncture of the wall and subfioor, and secured to both, as by nails 22. It will be recognized thatthe securing strip portions might be formed in discontinuous sections. The bottom flange of the'securing strip means underlies the margins of the finish flooring. The upper edge of the strip is protion, movement of heavy loads over the floor, etc.

Since very powerful lateral forces are involved in these movements, bucklingand heavingof the floor has frequently occurred. The present invention aims to provide an improved method and means whereby wood finish flooring or' the like may be laid over concrete or equivalent subfiooring without thereby creating the difficulties above alluded to which have heretofore been incident to the laying of floors of this class.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawingillustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing: i

Fig. 1 is an isometric perspective view, partly in section, showing a preferred form of my improved shoe molding, as installed, also illustrating a floor laid in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through such an installation as is illustrated in Fig. 1.

, Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken sub- I stantially on the line 3-3 and the floor and wall.

' and the like, telescoping coupling plates 39 are provided, arranged to extend across the gap and to be frictionally retained within the end abutting videdwith an inwardly and downwardly bent angular flange 24, to which, at suitable intervals,

spring clips 25 are attached. The clips are provided with upwardly curved arms, proportioned to snap into and frictionally retain the channelshaped molding element 21, the latter being preferably of quarter-round section and provided with inbent flanges28 arranged to be engaged behind being projected through slots, 29, in the spring clips. The slots extend vertically, and permit adjustment of the spring clips in such manner thatthey may be mounted in proper position to insure snug engagement between the molding 21 Where ends of the molding are exposed, integral or welded-on closed end or return portions 3| are provided.

The molding may be made in standard sections,

and it will be recognized that corners and other special configurations may also be prefabricated. To enableconvenient assembly of abutting moldingsections,,or of molding sections with corners,

to expafid 61" creep iaterau it may moi/ freely under the molding assembly,by virtue of the gap The lateral forces are thus completely ref-' lieved,and no blocking of lateral movement-such. i

as causes the lateral forces to be resolved into I buckling and. warping forces, in flooring' of-tfiis class as ordinarily laid, can occur. The angular flange 24 is preferably arranged at such height ..as to permit the finish flooring to travel-there 7 [beneath it the movementbecomes sufiiciently ex-f tensive, naeitdtne' resi ience time jsbnneeiies is, thrhdldir'ig b-pnajaii anar'epieed at wni' Lain a bodied" m other specific; 'withdfit depart-me fiiifri the spirit or e'ssefiti'alattribiits nd I there aesfi e the present embodiment tote ccnsi' d' in 'resp cts'jas nm's'tianv-ananet rere'rieimibemgnadictneappeada rams; rather than to me eg'oiiig aeseri'pnar w indicate the s'cope or tnemventioa r 5:

'a eftnatftjh invefinea may be eni- I claim:

1. In combination with'the walls and fixed subfioorof a room and a movable finish floor of less area than such sub-floorcentrally disposed upon such sub-floor whereby a gap is formed between the margins of the finish floor and such walls, a finish shoe mold comprising a bottom portion and an upright portion secured respectively to the subfloor and walls adjacent the junctions thereof,

said upright portion extending above the finish fioorfarifd terminating inafiexiblefiang inclined inwardlylarid downwardly toward the finish floor,

spring clips secured at intervals to said flexible flange, and ahollow moldingfitted over and frictionally retained by said spring clips, said molding' overlying the said gap and extending to sub- 7 stantial' juncture said-walls;

with both the finish floor and 2. A shoe mold construction as recited in claim lfwlirein the flexible flange is slotted at intervals and thespringclips are adjustabl secured to tli flexibleflan'ge by members pas in through l wherein the bottoiii portion thereof 'i'sj'arra'n'ged to extend beneath the margins of the finish 11001.

and the hollowniol'din'g is arranged to'extend infill); j frictional engagement wan the upeersurraee tr 

